Mark Rosewater Finally Admits Some Players Hate Universes Beyond — Prices and Standard Legality Spark Complaints
Magic: The Gathering head designer Mark Rosewater has publicly acknowledged that some players still dislike the game’s Universes Beyond crossovers, even as the program grows and sells well. In his annual State of Design blog post, Rosewater lists ongoing complaints and also points to strong sales for certain UB sets.
- What Rosewater said about Universes Beyond and the specific complaints he listed.
- How Wizards of the Coast has positioned crossover sets in the game and in Standard.
- Notes on pricing and sales figures mentioned by Rosewater and third-party reporting.
- Relevant quotes from Rosewater, including his Tumblr comment from last year.
Rosewater names complaints but points to shrinking opposition
In the 2025 State of Design post, Rosewater explicitly writes that “There are ongoing complaints about Universes Beyond sets.” He then explains that while some players dislike UB sets, that group’s size is “continually shrinks over time.” Furthermore, he highlights Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY as an example, calling it “already the best-selling Magic set of all time.”
The specific concerns he lists
Rosewater lists several concrete complaints. Namely:
- Some players prefer Magic’s traditional fantasy setting.
- Some are unhappy that Universes Beyond sets are legal in Standard.
- Some are upset that Universes Beyond booster packs cost more on average than regular Magic Multiverse booster packs.
He also acknowledges pricing directly, noting that certain UB products have been priced higher than normal sets, as reported by third-party pricing coverage like DraftSim.
Rosewater’s full UB explanation
As this is the only randomized Universes Beyond product I’m talking about today (I sadly didn’t have space to discuss Magic: The Gathering® – Assassin’s Creed®), I’m using this section to go over much of the feedback about Universes Beyond in general.
There are still players that don’t like that we’re doing Universes Beyond, although that sentiment continually shrinks over time. For example Magic: The Gathering—FINAL FANTASY is already the best-selling Magic set of all time and it just came out. Some players don’t mind Universes Beyond sets in general, but they feel at home in Magic’s fantasy setting. Some players are unhappy that we’re including Universes Beyond sets in Standard. Some are unhappy that Universes Beyond booster packs cost more on average than Magic Multiverse booster packs.
Context and past comments
Rosewater has previously defended Universes Beyond on his personal Tumblr. For example, last November he wrote:
So, this idea that Universes Beyond is forsaking existing players for other groups is simply wrong. The reason Universes Beyond is so successful is because many longtime, invested, enfranchised Magic players enjoy it. I get that it might not be you, specifically, but it is a lot of your fellow “longtime players”.
Therefore, while he still defends the program’s success, Rosewater is now also explicitly acknowledging specific player concerns about setting, format legality, and price. Moreover, Wizards continues to release UB products — including upcoming sets tied to Marvel’s Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender — so the program remains a core part of the company’s strategy.
